MCLEAN, VA – AT&T says multimedia messaging (MMS) will be available on the Apple iPhone starting Sept. 25. The feature, which allows users to attach video clips and such to emails, will be enabled by a “software update on that day,” says AT&T, the exclusive U.S. distributor of the iPhone.

Why wait? Two words: Network capacity. AT&T says smartphone growth, led by the iPhone, has resulted in an “explosion of traffic” on its wireless networks. According to AT&T, usage of its wireless networks is up 350% year-over-year over the past two years, and shows no signs of abating. The company is adding extra equipment to handle the expected MMS load.

AT&T is the exclusive U.S. distributor of the iPhone.

One thing you still won’t find on the iPhone: tethering. The feature, which is popular in iPhone markets around the world, permits consumers to connect their device to a PC and use it like a modem. AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel says network capacity is the issue, noting that iPhone owners are “very intensive data users.” Translation: AT&T isn’t prepared for the nationwide capacity drain that might occur once that feature is enabled.

Siegel says AT&T does plan to eventually offer tethering, however. When? He wouldn’t say. “We’re not announcing it yet. But when we’re ready, we will, of course.”

Copyright 2009 USA Today. All rights reserved. From http://www.usatoday.com. By Leslie Cauley.
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